Football ace Gary helping tackle Shropshire youth unemployment
A highly-respected former England international footballer is helping youngsters across Shropshire achieve the goal of starting and running their own business.
Tottenham Hotspur’s 1991 FA Cup final winning captain Gary Mabbutt MBE was on hand at a special event staged in Telford this week [Tuesday 13th November] to mark the launch of WOW! Business in a Box, a new collaboration between the soccer star’s successful WOW cleaning product company and Young Britain, a campaign that aims to steer young people in the region away from unemployment by providing everything they need to effectively ‘make their own job’ and become a self-employed entrepreneur.
The new partnership is aiming to tackle rising youth unemployment across the county by giving 18 to 30-year-olds all the necessary products, advice, training, and ongoing support they need to start, and subsequently make a success, of their own valeting and cleaning business. For an initial outlay of just £1,200, which young entrepreneurs should then be able to access a StartUp Loan to cover, participants on the scheme will receive enough supply of WOW’s waterless, non-toxic and fully biodegradable cleaning and polishing products to get themselves established as a valeting company selling the full WOW range, as a wholesale or retail business, or a combination of the two.
Youngsters will also receive comprehensive customer service and sales training, and an easy-to-understand business plan which outlines how, with the requisite hard work, participants could soon be rewarded with annual profits of up to £15,000. The WOW! Business in a Box concept also includes a year’s free membership at Telford Enterprise Hub, a registered business address, and access to regular mentoring clubs, business advice workshops, and ongoing support from other aspiring entrepreneurs.
“My business partner Steve Saunders and I are both extremely passionate about giving opportunities to young people, particularly in such challenging economic times as we currently face,” Gary Mabbutt, who played more than 600 games for Spurs and was their longest ever serving captain, as well as winning 16 full international caps for England in an illustrious playing career, commented. “We know that the passion, enthusiasm and appetite for hard work is definitely out there, and through WOW! Business in a Box, we’ll be able to channel these qualities with all of the advice, guidance, and support young people need to make a real success of things.”
Fay Easton, Shropshire’s StartUp Britain Local Champion and Co-Founder of Young Britain, explained: “Nearly four out of five new businesses fail due to either a lack of money, or because the people involved don’t quite have the right support network to help when times get tough. WOW! Business in a Box helps to tackle both of these issues – firstly through the potential availability of StartUp Loans, and then through the ongoing mentoring and advice on offer.
“Another advantage the youngsters involved in the programme will be able to benefit from is that Gary and Steve have already established WOW as a terrifically successful business in its own right, one that counts leading brands such as Ford and Homebase as customers. This means that participants can start their own business on a much higher point of the learning curve.
“I’d urge any young entrepreneur interested in the WOW! Business in a Box programme to get in touch. We’re staging a special workshop outlining the initiative at the Telford Enterprise Hub on Friday, 30th November, and anyone keen to reserve a place should contact me on 01952 677230 or email fay@youngbritain.com.”
